PhD Research Fellowship In Inorganic And Materials Chemistry

Position as PhD Research fellow in inorganic and materials chemistry is available at the Centre for Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Department of Chemistry, research group NAFUMA, University of Oslo (http://www.mn.uio.no/kjemi/forskning/grupper/nafuma). The fellowship is for a period of up to 4 years, with 25 % compulsory work. Starting date no later than 01.04.2016. No one can be appointed for more than one fixed-term period at the same institution. The position is funded as part of the Industrial Catalysis Science and Innovation for competitive and sustainable process industry (iCSI) center for research based innovation (https://www.ntnu.edu/icsi/). Employment is pending the completion of the required contracts between the center participants.

Project description: The PhD position is connected to the iCSI centre for research based innovation (iCSI – industrial Catalysis Science and Innovation for a competitive and sustainable process industry), concretely to the work package on "21st century Ammonia Oxidation and Nitric Acid technology development" with focus on understanding PGM transport reactions and Pd-Pt recovery mechanisms in collaboration with the industrial partners Yara international ASA and K. A. Rasmussen AS. SINTEF will furthermore contribute to the targets of the work package. The overall aim is to achieve detailed insight through experiments and advanced characterization on mechanism for loss of noble metal during the exothermic ammonia combustion process (Ostwald reaction) along with obtaining insight into mechanism for catchment and diffusion in Pd-based catchment nets.

Eligibility: The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition of being a leading research faculty. Candidates for these fellowships will be selected in accordance with this, and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.

• The successful candidate should hold a Master degree or a corresponding education equivalent to a Norwegian Master degree in inorganic chemistry/ solid state chemistry/ materials science/ physical chemistry.
• The applicants should have documented background and experience in several of the following areas;
• Analysis by X-ray diffraction SEM/EDS, XPS and SIMS
• Thermal analysis, including MS/GC analysis
• Intermetallics; including sputtering, arc melting and other preparation routes
• Solid state diffusion, experiments, modeling or analysis
• The successful candidate should be willing and able to take on tasks for the benefit of the NAFUMA research group. The position carries 25% compulsory teaching duties. Owing to the teaching requirements, priority can be given to applicants being fluent in a Scandinavian language. The candidate is expected to collaborate closely with coworkers of the NAFUMA group and external personnel, and hence personal suitability and co-operation skills will receive special attention in the selection process.

The applicant is asked to state in the application letter to what extent and in which way he/she meets each of the competence requirements given above.

The purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree.

The fellowship requires admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. The application to the PhD programme must be submitted to the department no later than two months after taking up the position.